Picture perfect moment

Comic artist giving to college fund for dead friend's daughter.

Comic artist giving to college fund for dead friend's daughter.

February 04, 2006|MELISSA JACKSON Tribune Staff Writer

It's one of those picture-perfect moments. A young bride and groom poised for a kiss on their wedding day as their friends gather round. Comic book artist Gene Ha captured that moment for the cover of Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four: The Wedding #1 issue, which last year marked the 40th anniversary of the marriage of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, better known as Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Now Ha, a Clay High School graduate, is selling the original artwork of that cover on eBay to raise money for a 12-year-old Michiana girl whose father, Guy Barry Winston, died of a heart attack while working a New Year's Eve shift as a bouncer in Niles. Ha, who now lives outside of Chicago, said he and Winston had the "same circle of friends" growing up. After hearing of Winston's sudden death, Ha traveled back to Indiana for the wake last month. "I was just struck by how close everyone was," Ha said. "How they all came together and how they watched over Brianna (Barry's daughter)." One friend set up a college fund for Brianna at Chase Bank in South Bend and Ha decided to help raise funds by auctioning off the cover art. Kelly Heying, co-owner of BuyMeToys.com in South Bend, estimates that "within the past 10 years original art has just skyrocketed." "To have an original piece of art, that's just awesome," Heying said. She noted that the Fantastic Four, which began in 1961, covers a large age demographic and has a large fan base. The chance to buy the original cover art from the wedding issue is tremendous, Heying continued. "It's almost like Superman and Lois Lane," she said. "It's an amazing opportunity for people." On the auction site, Ha has offered to personalize the artwork to the buyer's needs and says he is willing to send a photo quality print of the original colors, if requested, or a signed copy of the original comic. He is also paying for shipping and handling. Due to the interest people have expressed in donating to the educational fund, Ha set up a PayPal link on his Web site, www.geneha.com, to accept gifts. "When I created the auction, I had no idea how many people would be willing to help out of sheer goodness," Ha posted on his Web site. "I love the comics geek world."